After raid and arrests, Bukit Aman turns the scope to social media for GISBH content

SHAH ALAM, September 22 — Police are monitoring social media for statements related to the ongoing criminal investigation into Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH).

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said a special team of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been tasked with this monitoring, Sinar Harian reported today.

“This comes after it was discovered that individuals associated with GISBH, former members and others have made statements or revelations on social media.

“For any disclosures or information, we (police) request these individuals to come forward and assist with the investigation,” he reportedly told Malay Daily when contacted.

Razarudin said investigations are still ongoing following yesterday’s raids, codenamed Op Global, which were carried out across the peninsula.

“We are focusing on this issue first before moving to the next phase,” he told the newspaper.

The cases are being investigated under section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001 and section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.

National news agency Bernama reported that nearly 200 people have been arrested since the GISBH child trafficking scandal broke on September 11.

That day, police inspector Tan Sri Razarudin Husain announced that 171 people linked to the local organisation posing as Islamic had been arrested. They were suspected of multiple criminal activities, including sodomy of children and preparing them to perform similar sexual acts on other minors.

He revealed that police had rescued more than 400 children during 20 raids on nursing homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

The raids were conducted in response to 41 police reports filed against the company from 2011 through September 7 of this year.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay had already hinted at the child exploitation scandal on September 8, without mentioning GISBH by name.

Yesterday, Razaruddin reported that 155 people, including CEO Datuk Nasaruddin Ali, and 77 women, had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the company’s alleged criminal activities.

The arrests were made during raids on 82 premises, including charities, business clinics, madrassas and private homes.

At the same time, police rescued another 186 people, 102 of whom were men and 84 women.

Among the rescued minors was a child whose photo was widely shared on social media after he was beaten by a man believed to be a member of the GISBH.

GISBH CEO Nasaruddin had admitted that there were “one or two” sodomy incidents involving the group in the early days after the first police operations, but denied the allegations of abuse and said the company would take legal action against those who defamed it.